I'm a ThunderClan Cat!
by SwiftslashxLeafstorm
Summary: When fourteen year old Ella Frost dies in a flood, she is reborn as a Clan cat. But how will she handle keeping the secrets about the Clans, especially when she's born at the same time as the Three? Jayfeather/OC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
>"Errrr..."I lifted my head groggily.<p>

I must have survived the flood! But for some reason, my eyes were sealed shut and wouldn't open when I tried.

I forced them open and blinked a couple of times, but it was still dark.

I knew I was somewhere warm and I could smell something milky and soothing.

Wait, smell?

I raised my hand up to my face.

But before I touched it, I hesitated. I shut my eyes, and opened them again.

It was still dark.

"This kit has already opened her eyes! What shall we name her?" A voice said, quaking with excitement.

My ears… twitched?I put my hand on my face and felt a furry paw. I opened my mouth to let out a cry of alarm, but was interrupted by something thin and furry flicking across my mouth.

"How about Swiftkit?" A voice purred.

"Sounds great. How—" I thought this was odd. Am I a cat? A warrior cat?

"What's wrong with her eyes? Swiftkit's eyes are strange!" One of the two voices cried, cutting the other one off.

I blinked, suddenly realising the utter blackness wasn't supposed to be here.

"Leafpool, what's wrong with my kit?"

Leafpool?

"Ferncloud, I'm afraid your kit's blind, like Jaykit. They were born at almost the same time." Leafpool meowed.

Dustpelt cut in. He took a deep breath.

"Swiftkit? Can you hear me?"I nodded.

"What do I look like?"

I squealed."You look just like me. Pale gray, with darker flecks. And you have green eyes." Ferncloud purred, drawing me towards her.

I mewled and squirmed around, bumping into Dustpelt's legs.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

**Hi guys! Early update! I was gonna update every week, but I finished this chappie early! Okay, so this one is a little *cough a lot cough* longer than chapter 1, and I'll try to make chapter 3 even longer. Okay, on to the storeh!Disclaimer: SwiftxLeaf doesn't own Warriors, but would if she was Erin Hunter! But she isn't, so she only owns Swiftkit/paw! So NO STEALING HER!**

Chapter 2

"Jaykit! We're gonna be apprenticed today!" I squeaked.

"Hollykit! Lionkit! We're gonna be apprentices!"

Lionkit purred and rubbed against my cheek. I recoiled slightly at his touch.

_What was he doing_?

"I know! How cool! But I wanna be a medicine cat." Hollykit meowed, quivering with excitement.

I looked at her, tipping my head slightly.

"Are you sure you want to be a medicine cat?" I asked.

She nodded. "It's the best way I can be important to my Clan."

"But are you sure? You can still truly be important to the Clan by being the best warrior you can be. Because you have to know what you really want in your heart." I questioned, licking her forehead.

She must have hesitated, because for a moment she made no noise. Hollykit let out a long sigh. "I suppose that you're right. I'll go tell Firestar now."

Then she turned and briskly padded off.

Jaykit sighed and muttered quietly, "I hate being blind."

I nosed my way towards him. "Maybe you hate being blind, but I'm blind too, so you shouldn't be grouchy."

He turned his head to me. "It's not the blindness, I just hate it when everyone treats me like a newborn kit."

I nodded thoughtfully, rubbing my body against his and saying, "Yeah, I know what you mean."

In an instant I felt Lionkit stare jealously at me and Jaykit. I could feel his gaze burning against my pelt, and I quickly turned and licked his cheek, purring slightly at the thought of becoming an apprentice.

I was really surprised when he let out a deep purr.

Jaykit suddenly growled, padding quickly off toward the nursery. Hollykit giggled and nosed her way between us, returning from the leader's den.

I stared hard at the blackness that would always cloud my vision.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather at the Highledge for a Clan meeting."

Firestar's voice rang across the hollow, and I could scent him coming out of the leaders den.

Lionkit flinched with excitement.

"This is it! We're finally gonna become apprentices!" He squealed, his golden tail fluffing up with excitement.

"Swiftpaw, your mentor will be–" Firestar was interrupted by Leafpool.

"StarClan have sent me a sign. I request I train Swiftpaw in the ways of a medicine cat."

My mouth dropped open. _I_ wasn't supposed to train as a medicine cat, Jayfeather was!

_What's StarClan doing? _

"Very well," Firestar meowed, "Leafpool,"

"I know that I am putting Swiftpaw in safe paws," He called.

"I pray that StarClan gives your apprentice all the strength and wisdom she needs."

"I'll teach her everything I know," Leafpool promised.

"What about me?" Jaykit asked.

"Surely he can't become an apprentice?" Whitewing's whispered comment hung in the still, damp air. "Longtail moved to the elders den when he went blind," Thornclaw murmured, as if he agreed that blind cats couldn't be warriors.

"Poor mite," breathed Sorreltail.

I bristled, and felt Hollypaw bristle beside me as well.

_Why can't he be given the chance? Just because he's blind. At least he doesn't have to be a medicine cat apprentice anymore, because he hated that. And- he hated having Brightheart! It made him feel singled out. _

"I want to become an apprentice like Hollypaw and Lionpaw." Jaykit spat defiantly.

I purred slightly at how he skilfully avoided my name. He doesn't want to be a medicine cat, I thought. "Of course you do," Firestar answered smoothly, "and your mentor will be–"

I interrupted him, and hissed fiercely in his ear, "Don't make him feel singled out because he's blind. Don't give him Brightheart. She's a great warrior, but Jaykit is just like any other apprentice."

Firestar was listening to me with his ears pricked.

He stared at me for a moment; I felt his hot green gaze scorch my pelt; but flicked his tail across my back in agreement.

"Your mentor will be Sorreltail."

**So, how was that? R & R!**

**Disclaimer: Short A/N.**

**Me: Talking isn't your job!**

**Disclaimer: …**

**Me: That's better. There is some romance sparks! Lionkit and Jaykit are both…**

**Can you guess?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Another Chapter!**

**As (sort of) promised, this one's even longer! It's ONE THOUSAND (and eighty extra) WORDS. Anyway, there's a… twist, in this chappie. It was hard to write in the beginning, but the I sorta got in the flow, ya know?**  
><strong>… On to the storeh!<strong>  
><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors, Erin Hunter does. But I own Swiftpaw, so NO STEALING!<strong>

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

"Swiftpaw, what's this herb?"  
>I sniffed the mouth-watering, sweet-smelling herb.<br>"Catmint." I answered.  
>"Good," Leafpool meowed, "and what do we use it for?"<br>"Greencough. It's the only herb that cures it." I replied immediately. I made sure I knew, because soon, when Lionpaw and Hollypaw get their warrior names, there would be an outbreak of greencough, and my 'father' Dustpelt would get sick.  
>Daisy rushed in. "Foxkit's got a thorn in his pad!" she fretted.<br>Leafpool looked up from sorting through her herbs and mumbled through the comfrey in her mouth, "Swiftpaw will get it."  
>Daisy turned to me, letting off waves of concern.<br>"Lighten up, it's just a thorn." I growled teasingly, following her to the nursery.

Gripping the thorn in his pad with my teeth, I tugged it hard.  
>"Ow!" He yowled, in a very kitlike protest. I realised it was quite a large thorn, and a steady stream of blood was flowing out of the wound.<br>Turning, I quickly got a wad of cobwebs from the stocks. I covered the cut with the sticky strands. But a single drop of blood appeared on my paw, and suddenly the salty tang of blood filled my mouth.  
>A whisper passed into my ear.<br>Your doom will come at moonhigh…  
>What? I asked mentally.<br>Your doom will come at moonhigh… the whisper repeated. With a shudder I realised it was StarClan, warning me of my…  
>"StarClan, no!" I whispered.<p>

"WindClan are attacking!"  
>Dustpelt's yowl came from the entrance to the hollow as he darted in, followed by the rest of the night patrol. Leafpool was immediately on guard, and rushed to the back of the cave to get herbs ready.<br>A small warrior crashed through the bramble screen. I fluffed up, but before I could do anything I was pinned down by the throat, thrashing, thrashing wildly, as I was bitten viciously on my left shoulder…  
>I felt jaws clamp firmly but lightly around my neck.<br>"You wouldn't." I whispered, my voice squeaking with fear, and struggling to stay conscious, thanks to the blood I had already lost from the gaping wound on my shoulder.  
>"Watch me." the voice, Breezepaw's voice, snarled.<br>And he bit down on my neck.  
>Leafpool entered the room, jaws filled with leaves and stems. She dropped them as soon as she saw me being murdered by Breezepaw.<br>I could feel my life slipping away like my blood onto the cold stone floor, my already clouded eyes glazing over as I slowly, painfully died, the glow fading from my eyes almost completely before I heard Leafpool…  
>"You're killing a medicine cat!" Leafpool shrieked.<br>And Breezepaw let go of my neck, but it was too late.  
>I was dying, and not even StarClan could save me.<br>It was moonhigh.

"Don't worry, little one. You shall be safe here in StarClan," Bluestar meowed to me as I watched my Clan pay their respects. Oh yes, I watched. It was good to see again, but the price…  
>I shuddered, remembering the unbearable pain, the contempt and satisfaction etched in Breezepaw's voice, the way he had so thoughtlessly killed another apprentice…<br>Spottedleaf bounded up to me and nuzzled my shoulder, interrupting my terrifying flashback.  
>"I know what it is like to bear an unjust death, a single bite to the throat." She meowed."When he dies, he will not come to StarClan."<br>I looked up at her, a sad glow filling my bright green eyes.  
>"Does that mean Jaypaw will still become an medicine cat?" I asked, twitching my ears towards where Jaypaw was crouching, his muzzle buried in my gray-flecked fur.<br>Spottedleaf nodded sympathetically, watching a mouse scurry along the starry ground. "Some things are meant to be, Swiftpaw. StarClan did not want you to be a medicine cat. It was not meant to be. But now, you have had to pay the ultimate price for it…"  
>Her voice trailed off and her eyes fixed on something distant and far away; she was obviously remembering her own death.<br>"But why did Leafpool say StarClan requested that I should be a medicine cat apprentice?" I questioned.  
>She snapped back into the present when I spoke. "There are some things even StarClan don't know," she replied, flicking her tail towards the StarClan medicine cat den. "I shall leave you now. There is something," her whiskers twitched with amusement slightly, "that two cats have to say." She stood up, gave her chest fur a quick grooming, and left. I looked down at my own starry fur, and yet again tried, I tried and tried again but it hadn't worked, to believe that I wasn't dead.<br>But I was.  
>Looking back at my own dead body, I heard Lionpaw and Jaypaw both whisper the same beautiful words into my lifeless heap of body and fur.<br>"I loved you, Swiftpaw."  
>Lionpaw stretched and padded toward the apprentice den, and only Leafpool, Firestar, Dustpelt, Ferncloud, Hollypaw and Jaypaw remained. Jaypaw looked even more distressed than Ferncloud and Leafpool, his blind blue eyes stretched wide with misery and grief as he stared sightlessly at the bundle of gray fur that was my dead body.<br>"Oh, Jaypaw," I sighed quietly, wrapping my tail around my paws as I changed from lying down into a sitting position. "I love you, more than," I choked on the words, tears beginning to stream down my starry, already tear-stained face, "more than you will ever know. And you will never know now."

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><p><strong>Thanks to starbomb, blackcatgurl, zestia240, LarkspiritofForestClan, Lunarwing-Hawktalon, and all the anonymous peeps who reviewed! It brings me joy to know that people are reading, and enjoying, my story.<strong>  
><strong>~SwiftxLeaf<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys. I'm SO SO SO SO SO SO so sorry for not updating for like, a month or something. Please don't kill me! I made this chapter more than two thousand words for you guys.**

**~SwiftslashxLeafstorm**

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

"Jaypaw?"

His blue eyes shone in the darkness, the sparkling light of the moonpool reflecting in his glassy eyes the vague shapes of the cats of StarClan.

"S–Swiftpaw?" He asked.

I ran up to him, and we touched noses joyfully.

"I will always walk with you, no matter what. StarClan will always walk with you." I whispered into his ear fur. "It has been many moons since we last met, Jaypaw. I see you are a medicine cat apprentice now."

He stood a little taller, the dull glow of sadness in his eyes being replaced by the unmistakable pride. "It's Jayfeather now." He purred, flicking his tail-tip happily. All of a sudden, his tail drooped back down again. "But we won't be together."

I licked him questioningly.

_It feels nice_.

Jayfeather's thought rang in my mind.

"We won't be together, and you know it. Because I'm more powerful then even StarClan, I won't come here when I'm dead, will I?" He meowed, almost yelling the last sentence as he gestured to the moonpool with a flick of his tail.

Quick as a flash, I leaped on it, pinning it down with my forepaws. (**A/N: 'It' is Jayfeather's** **tail**) "Stop waving your tail about so much, or it's gonna fall off! And,"

I repeated what Spottedleaf had told me so many moons ago, "there is only one place to go for cats that are special. You are one of the three, andStarClan will always be with you."

Jayfeather lifted his gaze from me to the sky.

_Is she one of the three? _

I purred, releasing his tail from my grasp and rubbing against his side.

"Yes," I mewed, "and I can read your thoughts."

I stood before the whole of StarClan, my already-shining eyes glittering in the light of their beautiful glowing pelts.

"What do you mean I can go back?" I stammered, and they all looked at me with an amused look in their glowing eyes.

"We mean exactly that. You. Can go. Back." Yellowfang growled, although her whiskers were twitching and she spoke with a soft tone. I bounded across to her and licked her in thanks.

"Thank you, oh Thank you." I meowed, tail curling in delight. Yellowfang grunted, and Spottedleaf stepped up with a grave expression on her face.

"You may not think that once we send you back. Now, are you ready?"

"Yes! Goodbye, Spottedleaf, Yellowfang." I locked each of them, and Yellowfang snorted, although she did not make a rude retort. Then, a light began to shine strongly in my eyes, blotting out the warmth of StarClan and the sweet scents surrounding them. Soon, the light was replaced with a darkness, so sudden that I let out a yelp.

_"Do not worry!"_ Called Spottedleaf, her voice distant and far away. But I feared that I was becoming blind again, and barely retained the utter panic threatening to engulf me. Soon, I drifted into a comforting sleep, undisturbed by the panic that I had felt not long ago.

I blinked open my eyes, stretching them wide to rid them of the bleary warmth of sleep. The first thing I thought was, _I'm not blind!_ The second thing was, _I'm alive!_

But as soon as I looked up, I noticed something was wrong. I could tell it was night, because I could see the crescent moon and glittering cats of StarClan hanging in the night sky, but I could see much, _much_ clearer than my cat senses would permit. I could also smell much fainter scents, such as the chrysanthemum in the corner of the clearing, treading its solitary path up towards the sky.

I dropped my gaze from the stars to the trees, and my jaw dropped. The trees were small, much smaller than I would've thought they would be. I was almost levels with the tips of the smallest trees. Then, I looked at the lake, which was beside me, and almost, _almost_, fainted. In the still, clear reflection of the shimmering water, there was a dragon. A majestic, _very_ dark grey dragon with very _very_ dark grey flecks and bright green eyes. In fact, I looked almost black. Then I fainted.

I woke sometime later (hey, I'm not a clock), and cracked open one green slit of eye. The sun had just risen over the horizon, sending faint rays of sun across the dusky forest. There in front of me were four cats. Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, Brambleclaw, and Squirrelflight. They obviously didn't detect my stirring and were talking loudly.

"-never seen this kind of monster before. We aren't even sure if it belongs to the twolegs."

"But why don't we attack it?"

That was Lionblaze, obviously.

"Lionblaze! Don't be stupid. We don't even know what it _is_."

I rumbled deep in my throat, catching all the cats off guard. The conversation was dull, and I decided to interrupt it.

"Mouse-brains." I purred, rising off the ground and somehow managing to shake out and raised them to their fullest extent. I quickly folded them in and began to scold them, much to the astonishment of the four small figures in front of me.

"First of all, I am not a monster, and I most certainly do _not _belong to the twolegs. I have a name. My name is-" I hesitated. Swiftpaw is not a fitting name for a dragon. "-Skydream. My name is Skydream. But," I flashed a sharp-toothed grin at them, " you may also know me as Swiftpaw." Lionblaze's jaw dropped at the cheeky tone I used at the end of my sentence.

"Swiftpaw! You came back!"

Ignoring Brambleclaw's yowls of warning, he sprinted forward. I felt a little sorry for Brambleclaw, who must have thought I was about to open my jaws and eat him, and I must admit, I had a pretty strong urge to, but I lowered my head and allowed him to throw himself onto my muzzle. He was purring so hard that all I could do to stop my snout from vibrating was to push him gently off and say, "It's good to see you too, Lionblaze." Hollyleaf then ran forward, followed a little more cautiously by Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight. I nuzzled them each and greeted them respectfully, then returned with them to camp.

As we neared the hollow, I breathed in the familiar scents of home. _Yes, home_. I thought with a twinge of satisfaction. _Not my old twolegplace I lived in as a human_.

I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I toppled straight over the highest part of the hollow. My immediate thought was that I was endangering the nursery by cashing into it. So, I let my instincts do it for me. My wings snapped open and I was immediately righted, gliding across the hollow. One pump of my powerful wings and I shot up. However, as I found myself at the peak of my jump, instead of landing, I began to fall back down towards the hard ground. I gave a shriek of surprise and flapped again, and reached the same height, slamming hard into the cliff face. I scrambled against the rough surface, pounding my wings to try to help get me up and sending rocks as large as a cat down towards them. I finally located a sturdy rock jutting out of the cliff just above me. I hooked the claws of my left forepaw around it and swung myself up, landing ungraciously on the opposite side of the hollow.

I turned and peeked over the cliff, an apologetic look covering my face. I felt embarrassed when I noticed the claw marks on the grass and the ruffled fur of the cats below, and realised that the blast of air from flapping my wings did it. I also saw the cat-sized lumpy, jagged rocks littering the floor, and felt a pang of guilt, relieved that no one was hurt by the falling stones.

I swear that my scales were burning red when I saw Firestar shake his scruffy fur and lick it quickly, smoothing the fluffed-out ginger fur on his chest. He then looked up at me, drew a shaky breath, and asked, "What is going on here?"

His green eyes sparked with anger and an obvious fear was hidden beneath, but he remained steady as he repeated the question.

"What's going on?"

"Errr, hi, Firestar…?" I said hopefully.

"What are you, monster?" He asked in a remarkably brave tone.

I huffed and daintily jumped down, scattering a few warriors as I landed on a rock near the Highledge. Leaping off the stone, I stalked towards Firestar, head high and tail sweeping the ground, stirring up little eddies of dust on the ground.

"First of all, _Firestar_, I am not a monster," I growled curtly, curling my long tail in a wide arc around the patch of grass where he stood.

"I am a dragon. My name is Skydream, and I recently came back from the dead, where, for the second time I have been called monster! And," I glanced at Dustpelt fondly, who was standing a little way behind me with his back arched and his neck fur bristling, "I'm pretty sure I was called Swiftpaw."

Green eyes met my green eyes in a staring contest. I felt silently overjoyed for I knew I was going to win, even though it wasn't really a staring contest. Finally, Firestar sighed and said, "Very well. You may stay for as long as you wish."

Yowls of disapproval erupted across the clearing. Angry cats swarmed towards me, and I stopped them with such a fierce glare that some ran back cowering in fear. I then gathered the gas in my throat, raised my head, and shot a fire ball into the sky. A blue ring of force exploded around my jaws, but the shockwave only caused a few rocks to fall from the far corners of the clearing.

"She'll scare off all the prey!"

I was infuriated by this comment, and rocketed off into the sky, disappearing without a trace into the low clouds littering the dusky sky, only peirced by the warm rays of the nearly-risen sun.

I scanned the clearing with my keen sight and located the arrogant tom who had spoke.

I could hear the murmurs of confusion for a moment before I was out of range. Twisting, I folded in my wings and dived towards the forest, turning and unfurling my wings at the last second and gliding into the clearing. I placed my landing perfectly, ending up with one clawed grey paw lightly but firmly over the cat's neck.

"Scare off all the prey, will I?" I growled through clenched teeth. "I'm guessing that you have better hearing than a mouse, and you certainly didn't hear me coming. And," I cut him off, "even if you did, you most definitely weren't fast enough to do anything about it."

I let him up, and he staggered away, gasping and shaken.

Firestar gulped and meowed, "Well, Skydream, welcome back to ThunderClan."

I then caught a familiar shimmer of grey fur in the corner of my eye, and turned to see Jayfeather standing there, his ears pricked and his glossy eyes confused.

"Jayfeather!" I crooned, watching him stumble towards me, kicking up dust and cat fur as he made his way to me. As he reached me, I opened my jaws, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. Several cats hissed and a few attacked me, but all I could feel of their frenzied clawing was a tingle on my smoky hide.

Then, I breathed on him. The force of that gentle blow seemed to reverberate through the trees, a whisper of rushing wind making their leaves rustle expectantly.

His eyes seemed to clear, then he whispered, "…Swiftpaw?" I nodded, then replied, "Yes?"

"I can see."

"What?"

"I can see!"

His wondrous yowl echoed through the whole of ThunderClan as he spun round, examining the world with such joy and hope sparkling in his eyes that even Firestar, weary as he was, seemed to soften a little.

He looked at me, then said bluntly, "Oh."

I chuckled, giving him a nudge. "Well, are you going to stick to caring for sick cats, or do you want to become a warrior?" His eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets at my words.

I was alone, finally. I needed to figure out what was wrong with my flying.

First, I checked my wings. Check, they were fine. Then, a thought hit me. _Wait! Maybe my_ _tail is unbalancing me!_ I stretched my neck around and looked at my tail. Cautiously, I moved it. It swayed across the dirt at my will, leaving strange indentations in the soft earth beneath me.

Hmm, maybe I just wasn't used to flying.

I tried again, spreading my wings and kicking off strongly. Yet again, I fell to the ground. But this time, I realised the disturbance of my flight pattern. I shook myself, and stood shakily. I checked my tail, and for the first time noticed the flaps on the end. I had known about the ones near my main wings, but they didn't do much. I tried moving them, and to my relief, they spread out.

Soon I was soaring through the air, looping and spinning and diving across the sunset in every way imaginable. Boy, I couldn't wait to take someone for a ride.

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><p><strong>Any OC's are welcome! And do you think that she should stay as a dragon, or return to cat form?<strong>

**Anyway, please review!**

**~SwiftslashxLeafstorm**


	5. Chapter 5

**I am on a roll! Yay! My writers block has completely disappeared! I think! Anyway, thanks for all the OCs! Four of them are in this chapter, and you can still enter OCs I need as many as I can, and you can submit another if you've already entered one. The OC entry will be open for as long as... for as long as I say! Yeah, that seems right!**

**Okay, so I am probably boring you all with my endless rambling, so on to the storeh!**

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><p>Ch 5<p>

"Great StarClan, please don't tell me I'm dead." I muttered.

I was in StarClan again, thankfully back in cat form. Spottedleaf stood before me, as did Bluestar. We were alone in a dimly moonlit clearing, but the main light seemed to be coming from the stars studding their sparkling pelt, the tiny stars casting a silver light across the short grass.

"Bluestar! Spottedleaf!" I spat angrily. They both glanced at each other and sighed, Bluestar clearing her throat and starting to speak, but I cut her off.

"Why didn't you send me back as a cat?" I demanded.

"Well, we didn't think you'd like the alternative—"

"Alternative? What's _that_?"

"You would be a cat again, but—"

"Yes! I accept!"

"But—"

"Would you just _do it already_?" I snarled, my neck fur bristling.

"Fine!" Growled Bluestar, stalking up to me and raising an unsheathed paw.

"Bluestar! That isn't necessary!" Spottedleaf screeched. But Bluestar, now seething with anger, had already brought down her claws. As soon as the tip of one touched me, a bright flash of light engulfed my vision, blinding me for a moment as the imprint of light faded.

I found myself lying weakly in an unfamiliar forest. The trees were all tall oaks and bushes and shrubs littered the ground. The sunny weather and thick oak roots that were perfect places for mice to hide made it the perfect place to hunt. It was very much like ThunderClan territory, but there wasn't nearly as much undergrowth and every scent was unfamiliar. I got to my paws, took a few steps, and passed out.

_The Cats of Passing Time were locked deeply in an argument when Heatherfoot, newly named medicine cat of StormClan, was presented to them. A black and white she cat stepped forward, and Heatherfoot gasped. "Minnowstar!" _

_The cat nodded, greeting her respectfully but happily. They had been friends since kithood, and both cats had taken it hard when Minnowstar had her untimely death, losing her last life at the claws of a fox when protecting the nursery. _

_"Listen, Heatherfoot," Minnowstar began urgently, "this is no time to be exchanging greetings and words of endearment. There is a prophecy at hand, one that holds the fate of not just StormClan, not just StreamClan, DarkClan, StormClan and AirClan, but the Clans across the Great Sea River, also. So you must _listen._" Heatherfoot nodded quickly, realising the importance of the situation. _

_"The silver flame and the falcon will blaze through the night, waging a war with the very stars themselves, and the lion, tiger and leopard will rise to join them, defeating the stars to destroy the darkness beneath."_

_"War?" Heatherfoot echoed incredulously. "With the _stars_? But the stars are just… stars!" Minnowstar's whiskers twitched. "But it is still so."_

I awoke sometime later in a place very different to the one I had first seen. It was dark and damp, like a hole in the ground, and it _was_ a hole in the ground, with bracken covering the entrance, the cause of the suffocating darkness. I looked toward the opening, and saw a tiny pair of deep sapphire blue eyes staring at me. I stared back for a moment before they disappeared.

"Mintstar!" A small squeak told me the pair of eyes belonged to a kit, but it was almost ready to be apprenticed. The leaves and twigs keeping me in were cleared, and the sudden bright sunlight stung my eyes. A pale golden furred cat reached down and grabbed me by the scruff, and I squealed very kittishly as a sharp stab of pain went up my spine. It felt like someone had been carrying me by the scruff for some time, and it now felt very tender and sore.

The strange cat, who seemed bigger than a normal cat, set me down on the grass and asked gently, "What are you doing on StormClan territory, young kit?" I blinked, confused. "Kit?" I repeated. The cat nodded slowly, eyeing me curiously with his amber eyes.

"Uhhh, I don't really know." I replied, looking down at my body and nearly yowling out loud with surprise as I looked at my body. I now had tortoiseshell fur and yep, I was definitely a kit.

"Very well then, what's your name?" He tried again.

I was about to answer confidently when I faltered. My name should have been there, should have been on the tip of my tongue, but it wasn't. In fact, I couldn't remember anything, it had all died away, leaving a strangely blank spot in my mind where all my cat memories should have been. I still remembered that I was human, but that was it.

"I don't know!" I squeaked, panic rising in my throat like bile. "Shhh," the cat comforted. "I'm Mintstar, leader of StormClan. And this," he gestured to a calico-and-white she cat standing near him who flicked her ears in greeting, "is Heatherfoot. She's our current medicine cat."

"But I don't remember anything about where I come from!" I protested. Mintstar hushed me by signalling with his tail. "Well, then would you like to join our Clan?" He asked. "Yes, please!" I squealed. "Well then I shall announce your arrival to the Clan," he meowed, a faint ghost of a smile playing across his lips. As he left, a kit came bounding up to me. "Hi! I'm Silverkit!" She smiled, blue eyes and silver fur shining brightly in the sunlight do she looked like a flame. "Hi! I'm I-don't-know-yet!" I grinned. She smiled in return. "Well, it's nice to meet you, I-don't-know-yet!"

"And you, Silverkit," I giggled.

Mintstar called me over, and I bounded across the dusty ground to where a group of cats were standing. In the middle of the crowd was a small pool with a ledge sloping out of the middle like a castle with a moat. Mintstar was perched on top and leaped nimbly down, crossing the tiny river-like pool easily.

"It has been decided. Under the sun and moon, home of the everlasting Cats of Passing Time, I hereby name you Falconkit, in honour of your pelt." As the cats began to lick me in greeting, I looked happily across the flat grassy ground, and as my gaze passed Heatherfoot, I saw a flash of recognition pass across her eyes. It was gone in a moment though, and I dismissed the thought, thinking I had merely imagined it.

Silverkit dashed up to me, fur fluffed up in excitement. "Hey Falconkit! I think we should play a game! How about stalking prey!" Silverkit mewed, tail waving around madly.

"Sure!" I purred. "How do you play?"

"Well, you find a cat, and pretend it's prey, stalk it, and then," she pounced on my tawny coloured tail, "you pounce!"

I purred, looking around at the cats who were now beginning to scatter across the clearing. "Okay, who's the prey?"

"Otterpaw!" Silverkit signalled to a young and smaller than usual light brown tom with darker brown mackerel tab buy markings. He had a white streak on his belly, also two white paws and a mask with a lick ending just between his eyes. _Wow_, I thought. _Did I notice all that in one glance?_

"He just became an apprentice along with his denmates Silentpaw and Skypaw, so he'll be an easy target," explained Silverkit. We both dropped low to the ground, ducking behind tiny half-grown weeds for cover. When we were in position, Silverkit shrieked, "Now!"

We both pounced on the tabby, causing him to stumble a little under our combined weight.

"Gotcha," I purred smugly. He shook us off and sent us tumbling into the dirt. He turned, his dark blue eyes, much like Silverkit's, sparkling with warmth. "Are you Falconkit?" He asked, looking down at me with a kind glint in his eyes. They were much like Silverkits, but unlike hers, the pupils were ringed first with brown, then with a hazel green. I nodded.

"Well, I see Silverkit's already got you up to trouble. I'm sure the Clan will be very relieved when you become apprentices." He meowed mischievously. A ginger she cat with white paws, ears, and tail-tip and a small pale cream she cat padded up to Otterpaw.

"Hey, Otterpaw. Do you want to come with? We're going training." The pale cat asked nervously. "Oh, and you're Falconkit, right?" The ginger and white cat turned to me. Otterpaw spoke for me. "Yes, she is. Falconkit, this is Skypaw," he pointed with his tail toward the ginger cat, "and this is Silentpaw." Otterpaw's voice grew slightly dreamy, and Silentpaw blushed, scuffling her small paws in the dirt.

Silverkits whiskers twitched in amusement, as did mine. As they were leaving, I hissed lowly in Otterpaw's ear, "Oooh, Silentpaw and Otterpaw." He flashed me a look that said '_shut_ _up_!' and I purred evilly.

Silverkit nudged me softly. "Hey Falconkit," she whispered mischievously. I looked at her evilly, an idea forming in my mind. "Follow them?" I asked. "You betcha," she mewed.

We snuck through the fern and bramble entrance with surprising ease. You'd expect the cat standing nearby to stop a pair of kits sneaking out of the camp. But the tom, whose name was Blackspot, only nodded knowingly at us then pretended not to notice us leave. As we prowled after the three apprentices, I had to keep nudging Silverpaw, because she kept stopping, entranced, at every new scent and every colourful flower. As I told her to hurry up, she exploded at me and growled, "Well since you're a rogue you'd know what it's like to see and hear and smell all this new stuff, but I've never seen all this stuff!" I was deeply insulted by this comment. She had called me a _rogue_! I pointedly turned away, and we continued on in cold silence. A little way on, Silverkit turned to me and said, "I'm really sorry about what I just said. I let my temper get the better of me." I looked back at her and said, "It's okay."

Otterpaw suddenly stopped, and Silverkit and I dived behind a bush. It hid my tortoiseshell fur, but not Silverkits bright silver pelt. Skypaw and Silentpaw were having a conversation, and since Skypaw looked overly excited, I decided to listen in.

"—I bet Scourge did tons of these kinds of things when he was younger," Skypaw raved on dreamily.

"Jeez, Skypaw," Silentpaw sighed. "Scourge was _exiled. _He was _evil._ When will you get that into your head and stop _mooning _over him? You were a newborn kit when he was exiled, and he tried to _murder _you!"

"No, he didn't!" Skypaw insisted. "He was _saving_ me."

Silentpaw sighed again. "Skypaw, my mother tells me he was found with his _claws_ on your _throat_."

I ignored the conversation once more, it was dull. Otterpaw was sniffing the air, and finally said, "Come on out Falconkit, I can smell you. And Silverpaw, I can _see _you." Silverpaw swallowed awkwardly and stepped out of the bushes. I followed her sheepishly.

"Come on guys, let's get these two back to camp," he sighed to Skypaw and Silentpaw. Skypaw picked Silverpaw up by the scruff, and I mrowwled with laughter. Then, Otterpaw scooped me up too, and I squealed in protest. Silverkit shot me a look that said, _'Who's_ _laughing_ _now?' _and I snorted.

My bright and now violent blue eyes sparkled in the half-light of dusk as Mintstar got up on the WaterStone. Silverkit and I were twitching with excitement. We were about to become apprentices!

"Falconkit and Snowkit," Mintstar began, "you have both reached six moons of age, and it is time you became apprentices. Rippleclaw," he turned his gaze to a brown tabby tom with sharp amber eyes, "your apprentice will be Falconpaw. Moonstream taught you well, and I hope you pass on all the courage and skills to your apprentice." Rippleclaw stepped forward, pride almost emanating off him as he said, "I will," and touched noses with me. We continued to stand there silently while StormClan chanted my name and Silverpaws mentor position was appointed to Dreamheart, a pretty white she-cat with dark, dark brown eyes.

Although there was something unsettling me, despite my excitement and pure happiness. The medicine cat Heatherfoot wouldn't cheer for us, or even look us in the eye. She merely retreated into the shadows of the medicine cat den, muttering something about the Cats of Passing Time before she disappeared. There was something up with the medicine cat, something involving Silverpaw and I, and I was determined to find out what it was.

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><p><strong>Okay! I almost, <em>almost<em> forgot the disclaimer:**

**I don't own Warriors, the four Erin Hunters do. I also don't own Silentpaw, Skypaw, Silverkit/paw, or Otterpaw, because my awesomesauce reviewers own them. Oh, and ScourgexScarlet, Skypaw _is_ obsessed with Scourge, just like you asked!  
><strong>

**~SwiftslashxLeafstorm**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okey dokey,** **next chapter! And ScourgexScarlet, yes, yes he will.**

**Heeeeere's Scourge!**

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><p>Ch 6<p>

_Scourge was dead, right? He was killed when Firestar left him in the forest. Wrong. _

_Scourge stumbled weakly onto the twoleg water monster, barely avoiding being caught as the burly twoleg with strange markings across his arms staggered past, holding a cylinder thing with a thinner tube at the top in his paw. The twoleg shouted something, and the water monster lurched, moving forward with a creaking groan and a burst of rotten scent. _

_He slipped silently off the thing sometime later and into the slimy, murky, salty water. You'd expect the mighty Scourge to be afraid of nothing, but as he felt the water float around his black fur, it sent a shiver up his spine. However, he pressed on, finally reaching a beach where he stood, shivering, on the dusky ground. _

_He looked up, panting, and his cold blue eyes gleamed like shards of ice under the thin crescent moon. He smiled cruelly, but there was a trace of longing in his expression too. "StormClan,' he whispered. "I'm back."_

Silverpaw and I returned from the tour of the territory, panting and exhausted. Rippleclaw and Dreamheart stood side by side, sharing looks of amusement as we flopped down on the roots of the tree that sheltered the elders den. Moonfall, Sunstreak, Maplepelt, and Honeyfur all emerged from the woven fern and bramble elders den and smiled. Sunstreak, and old golden tom with bright green eyes, stretched and said to us, "I remember my first day as an apprentice. My mentor, Shiningfoot, said I passed out on the way back and he had to carry me back here." Silverpaw laughed, and I grinned widely.

Moonfall sat down, black tail swishing crazily in the dirt as she stared us down with wise orange eyes. "Yes, he was completely unconscious when Shiningfoot returned. It gave us a good laugh, it did."

I laughed modestly, then saw Dreamheart and Rippleclaw beckoning us over with their tails. "Come on, Silverpaw," I sighed. Silverpaw moaned. I stretched my aching muscles and moaned along with her. We trudged wearily over to them, and they looked rather disappointed.

"Well, Falconpaw, let's go," Rippleclaw meowed.

"Where?" I questioned.

"To the SunOak and MoonStream," Dreamheart mewed, as if it were obvious.

"It is customary for the apprentices first day to go to the SunOak and MoonStream, to receive the rights of StormClan from the Cats of Passing Time." Rippleclaw explained, Silverpaw stretching out her legs in preparation. I yawned, following them out.

_Wow, that is one big tree_, I thought as I stared up at the SunOak, standing tall and majestic next to the MoonStream. Dreamheart and Silverpaw were in the Moon Clearing at a small island further upstream.

"Well, come on," commanded Rippleclaw. I turned to look at him quizzically.

"Climb it." Rippleclaw repeated

_"What?" _I shrieked, pulling away, but he pinned me down and said with a growl, "Climb it."

I was climbing it. I'd never been so high before, except for in a plane. It was dizzyingly high, but beautiful at the same time. We were nearing the top, and Rippleclaw, who had been below me just in case I fell, now leaped up in front of me and meowed, "Stop. We're here."

But the tiny blast of wind from him as he passed me had pushed me back, unbalancing me off onto a precariously thin branch. I was about to jump, and the sudden movement startled me, causing me to stumble back. The tree branch moaned ominously as it tried to support the sudden weight on the fragile prongs. Then before I had time to register what was happening, the bark was emitting a sharp cracking, and Rippleclaw's amber eyes widened in alarm as he found out what was about to happen. I felt teeth gruff the scruff of my neck, but it was too late. The branch snapped off with a final _rip_.

And I fell out of the SunOak.

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><p><strong>Ooooh, cliffie! I'm so sorry about that. It just seemed like the perfect opportunity...<strong>

**I am going to camp next week! Meep! I'm so excited!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, so first of all, I AM SO SORRY FOR THE RIDICULOUSLY LONG WAIT! I guess I sort of lost interest in the story for a bit, as I am currently writing a teen fiction story that I actually plan on trying to get published. To make it up to anyone who really wants to kill me because I left them waiting (Which is probably no one, because I don't think many people really liked my story THAT MUCH), I have written an extra long chapter for you to enjoy! So, thank you for reading, and enjoy! (Please)**

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><p>A sharp gust of wind tugged at my fur and I opened my eyes as quick as lightning.<p>

"Falconpaw? Are you alright?" Rippleclaw asked in alarm. I could feel my heart racing, adrenaline pumping through my body. I was standing on one of the highest branches of the SunOak, unscathed, but shaken. I wasn't sure what had happened. A whisper came into my ear.

Remember…

My ears twitched with confusion and I looked across at Rippleclaw, who was staring at me with confusion in worry. I shook out my tortoiseshell body, releasing some of the nervous tension imbued in my muscles, and glanced at the ground far below.

"Fine," I replied uncertainly. "It's just – just a little high, I guess." Rippleclaw looked at me with suspicion, but questioned me no further. He twitched his whiskers impassively and mewed, "Okay then, Falconpaw, if you're sure… we'd best get down from here. The Cats of Passing Time have blessed you, I feel it within my heart, and your pelt now shines with the power of StormClan." He then turned and began bounding swiftly down the tree, leaping gracefully from branch to branch as if it were some other type of ritual. I followed clumsily, feeling sick to the stomach. What was that sensation? My small claws were digging deep into the oaken branches with some sort of subconscious fear. Rippleclaw stared at me from the bottom of the tall majestic tree, calling up corrections and tips.

"Spread out your paws more when you land," he called. "That way you'll get more of a grip, and less chance that you will fall." I followed his instructions all the way down to the undergrowth beneath the tree, where I lay gratefully, panting and very nearly fainting.

I hated high places.

Silverpaw came trudging up to meet us, dripping wet and followed by a very amused Dreamheart.

"I hate water," she growled grumpily, shaking out her fur once more, "I fell in."

"I hate heights," I replied, but more breathtaken then anything else. "I also hate when cats – especially silver ones – shake water all over me!" I purred and kicked leaves at her, which clung to her wet fur like she was covered in chewing gum.

_Wait, what the heck's chewing gum?_

My mind was playing tricks on me. It was grasping on to things that didn't exist in my mind. Was it trying to recover my memory? I wasn't sure, but Silverpaw gave me no time to think on it. She immediately pounced on me, throwing me to the ground and getting leaves stuck to my fur as well. We wrestled on the ground for half a second; before a sharp meow of "_Silence!_" stopped us short. Dreamheart was watching us with contempt, a look of disapproval in her dark eyes. Her white fur was bristling with anger, but a quick glance at Rippleclaw showed that he was quite enjoying the show. His amber eyes were glowing and his tail flicking crazily with amusement. Dreamheart noticed this and very nearly hissed at him.

"Rippleclaw! This isn't a joke! This is the apprentice's initiation into the Clan, and the must get it right! Don't you understand the importance of all this?"

Silverpaw was barely suppressing a deep guffaw, and she whispered into my ear, "Wanna trade mentors?"

"In your dreams, mouse brain."

"Oh, I am so getting you back for that."

"It's on."

Rippleclaw poked me with his tail and purred, "Come on, you very – hehehe – _disrespectful_ apprentice. Time to go to the MoonStream.

He sprang away in the direction Silverpaw and Brightheart had came, and I scrambled after him. He was moving quickly, faster than normal, and kept fading away into the forest before reappearing a moment later, further away from me than before, and much further out of my reach.

When we arrived at the bank of a wide and slow-moving silver stream, I was panting heavily again, but this time from exhaustion. Rippleclaw looked back at me and smiled a warm, rewarding smile. "You kept up well, Falconpaw," he meowed.

"What are you talking about?" I puffed, sitting down with a _harrumph_. "You were here ages before me!"

"Yes, but you didn't lose sight of me, did you?" he asked, staring at me with wide, evaluating eyes. I swallowed and mewled, "Actually I did sometimes. You just melted into the forest and I-"  
>"So did you." I cocked my head in confusion. "What?"<p>

"So did you," he repeated patiently. "It is one of the many gifts the Cats of Passing Time give to us. That is the power you received when you went to the SunOak. The cats of StormClan-"

"You better not be talking freely about the Cats of Passing Time, Rippleclaw," growled a voice in a low and dangerous tone. I looked across to the stream and saw a small island. Standing on the small patch of above water ground was a vicious-looking black cat, with a red stripe on his back and neck. I shivered at the sight of him, as he stared at me like I was a meal. "Bloodclaw," meowed Rippleclaw emotionlessly. "What brings you to the MoonStream?"

"My kits have become apprentices," he replied acidly, "and I am bringing them on their initiation into MoonClan."

As he said this, a black cat with ginger paws popped his drenched head out of a hole in the centre of the island that I had not yet noticed. He looked at me and smiled warmly. I blushed and smiled back. Wait, why did I blush!? Suddenly his father whacked him with his tail and hissed something in his ear. He sighed, looked at me with a brief apologetic mrowlll, and turned his head away from me, ducking back into the hole as he did so. I let out a sigh of disappointment, because he had seemed like a nice cat.

"That was my son Bloodkit – I mean Bloodpaw! He is my pride and joy!" meowed Bloodclaw loudly. "Well this is my apprentice, Falconpaw, but - what about your daughter?" Rippleclaw asked with disapproval.

"She is good too," he replied with little enthusiasm.

Bloodpaw popped his head out of the hole again, but this time the rest of his body followed. He had a dreamy look in his eye, and he seemed to be shining with power.

Bloodclaw almost literally dragged his son away across the shallow stream and into the forest on the opposing side of the water.

Rippleclaw shook his head and then meowed seriously to me, "The other side of the stream is MoonClan territory. Don't go across to there, or they will rip you to shreds, no matter if you're injured, or an apprentice, or anything. Do not go there."

I nodded quickly, feeling worried about the seriousness in his tone.

Rippleclaw's eyes lightened up and he placed his paws in the cold water. "Come on, Falconpaw. We go to the island. This is also a great way to teach you to get used to the water."

"Why will I need to get used to the water?" I asked inquisitively, placing my front paws gingerly into the stream. Rippleclaw laughed softly and muttered something I didn't hear. "Rippleclaw? Why?" I asked again, stepping fully into the water and coming up to stand beside him.

"For this! He yelled, whipping around and pulling me down, soaking my fur on one side. I rolled over, bringing him down into the flowing stream. He got up and laughed. "Nicely done," applauded Rippleclaw. "Now, on to more serious matters. The MoonStream. Did you see the hole? The one Bloodpaw poked his face out of?"

"Yeah…" I replied, somewhat uncertainly. Well, you need to go down it, and face the Cats of passing Time. It is very important, the message they send."

_O- okay. Come on Falconpaw, this is serious. Act like it._

I nodded and waded through the stream onto the island. I had thought that the island was made of sand, but the sand on the island was actually covering a black rock. The hole was perfectly circular, and with dread I realized it was filled with water.

"W-wait. You want me to go in there?" I asked, shivering slightly with fear. Rippleclaw nodded solemnly and I started to shake for real. My tortoiseshell fur fluffed out with fear and I began to breathe rapidly, backing away from the hole. Rippleclaw stopped me with an outstretched paw. I looked up at him, fear obvious in my wide green eyes. I retreated into a ball, shaking and still staring at Rippleclaw.

"Listen," began Rippleclaw comfortingly, laying his tail gently onto my back. "I know that you're scared. Everyone is scared at this test, because it's a challenge that we feel we can't overcome. But the Cats of Passing Time's power is strong in the MoonStream. It flows within the water, and watches over us day and night. As long as you trust in them, you will be safe." I got up and took a deep breath, then began to pad slowly towards the hole. I looked back one last time at Rippleclaw, who nodded encouragingly. I took a deep breath, and plunged into the hole. The water was still and cold, and my paws kicked well through the ever-darkening water. I felt some of my courage returning as the light from the top of the hole grew smaller and smaller.

Then, with a jolt of panic, I realized I didn't know what I was supposed to do. I felt the air in my lungs suddenly running thin, and I started to panic. I felt this had happened before, the feeling of air leaving my lungs, me falling into the darkness of unconsciousness as the murky water took my last breath, the helplessness and pure fear…

"_Have faith, young one. Be strong, and continue."_

I looked around in panic, and suddenly felt a presence with me in the dark water. A glowing ghostly cat swam up beside me and smiled gently, illuminating the path just below me. A small side hole was there, drilling into the corner of the rock, which I followed the glowing cat quickly into. I could feel my sense of calm returning, and I emerged into a cave filled with air. Air! I took a deep, thankful breath and scrambled out of the water, onto the rocky shore. It was a small air pocket, in a cave that was glowing naturally. As I coughed water out of my lunges and onto the slippery rocks, I noticed a small object on the rocks in the middle of the cave. It was a partially transparent stone. I padded closer to it in wonder. It was marbled with blues and whites, and shaped like a perfect oval. I wanted to touch it, but there was a force around it that was stopping me. It seemed to be the cause of the glow in the cave, and it was so breathtaking that I just stood there and stared at it. After a moment I realized there was another one, in a small indentation next to it. I gasped, realizing that there were supposed to be three of them. An empty indentation in the rock gave that away.

"Take it."

I looked back at the water, where the voice had spoken from, and to my amazement saw the Cats of Passing Time appearing from the water. They did not seem real. Their pelts were all either gold or silver, and the lit up the cave like it was aflame. But their very appearances were shimmering and distorted, as if they weren't really there. I stared at them with fear, and began quickly mewing, "Sorry I was going to touch one of the stones, I swear I didn't take that one, I-"

A few of the cats laughed. "Take it!" meowed one cat, stepping toward the stone and me. It is yours; you shall need it, Falcon. You are part of something great."

The stone shivered and drew itself onto a thread of silk, that of a spiderwebs, and glowed brightly, before clamping around my neck with a final sparkle. It was… a necklace…?

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><p><strong>Well there you go! Very nearly 2,500 words! I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry for the long wait. Umm, please submit OC's, as I'd still love some more, and if your OC hasn't been mentioned yet, it will appear in the later chapters! Thanks!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, SwiftxLeaf here, and I am a horrible person!**

**I seriously can't believe I left it for this long. It's CRAZY STUFF because I told you folks I would update it.**

**Everybody: Yeah, you suck. 0_0**

**Me: SHADDAP I TRIED OFUHBSVAAVDBLFSL**

**Everybody: *backs away***

**Disclaimer: IDON'TOWNWARRIORSORAWHOLEBUNCHOFCATSINTHISBECAUSEI AMUNORIGINALSORRY**

**...But I own some cats and the plotline.**

**Aaaaannnyyywayyyy, enjoy!**

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><p>Ch 8<p>

I pulled myself gratefully from the mouth of the hole, coughing and spluttering, and my fur heavy with dark water. But everything seemed different now. It felt like every scent was strengthened and sweeter, it felt like I could run forever and climb a million more of the SunOak's high branches. But when I pulled myself out of the hole, I felt weak and sick with tiredness and fear.

Rippleclaw grabbed me by the scruff and hurled me upward. I mewed – very kittishly – in surprise but let myself be pulled onto the rock. Rippleclaw dropped my scruff and lay me onto the rock, then crouched next to me, amber eyes wide.

"Did they give you the stone?" meowed Rippleclaw urgently. I nodded tiredly and pulled myself up. The murky water had sapped the last of my strength that the SunOak had not, and I trembled on my tortoiseshell-and-white paws as I stood shakily on the water-smoothed rock.

Rippleclaw pressed against my flank comfortingly. "Congratulations," he mewed gently, licking my ear softly and flicking his tail on my flank. I stared up at him with a wide green gaze and touched my nose to his, whispering a hoarse 'thanks' before turning toward our territory, and starting to slowly pad back.

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><p>I started to lick the sticky web from my fur, making a face as the clingy web caught in my mouth. Suddenly with a small thud, the stone dropped from my chest. I stared at it quizzically. The small egg-shaped object was no longer streaked with milky whites and soft blues, but a plain, grey colour now covered its surface. I stopped washing and trapped it under my paw, just as Silverpaw came padding wearily across camp, Skypaw at her side. "Hey, Falconpaw," mewed Skypaw indifferently, sitting a little way off from me, a vole in her jaws. My whiskers twitched in discontent and I grumbled back a half-hearted 'hi'. She didn't trust me. I pawed at my starling and took another bite, savouring the familiar taste of forest in my mouth.<p>

My ears twitched.

I didn't remember ever eating starling before. I never even remembered eating _birds_ before! I turned my attention to Silverpaw, who was curled up in a ball, her eyes half shut and a half-eaten mouse laying just in front of her. Despite my own drowsiness, I purred and stretched, then moved over to her and began rhythmically prodding her in the chest.

"Owwww," she moaned, batting my paw away with a drowsy silver one. "Just a few more moments," she mewed half-heartedly, curling her tail tighter over her nose as I continued to poke her with my tortoiseshell paw. She groaned and stretched her white-tipped paws across the grassy dirt-and-stone ground. "I spent all day climbing trees, seeing the territory, and going down holes for rocks. I need some sleep," she arched her back in a luxurious stretch and opened her bleary eyes fully to stare straight at me. A huge yawn split my jaws and I nudged Silverpaw to her feet.

"I know," I mewed, "we should get to our dens." I started to trail towards the den, knowing Silverpaw was at my tail, and padded into the mossy den. I prodded a few loose piles of moss together and flattened it down into a comfortable nest. Glancing across to the other side of the den, I saw Otterpaw curled in his nest, fast asleep. Silverpaw was already lying down on her nest, eyes closed and breathing already slowing. I purred softly as the soft moss warmed my fur, and settled down to sleep.

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><p>I opened my eyes as a warm breeze ruffled my fur. I scrabbled to my paws in shock as pressing blackness suddenly covered my vision. Scents hit me like a monster from the Thunderpath and every sound echoed loud and clear against my ear fur, and I stumbled backwards.<p>

"Swiftpaw?"

A voice rang through my mind, and I staggered to my paws, with the strange sensation they weren't mine. The voice was familiar in a way, but I had never heard it before in my life.

"Swiftpaw! I haven't seen you for two moons!" I was terrified. The voice was loud now, and pawsteps thudded against a soft ground. Sounds and smells pressed in on me, blackness seemingly nurturing my rising panic. The pawsteps slowed, and stopped just in front of me.

"Swiftpaw?" a voice mewed, uncertainly arising from the voice's joyful tones. I crouched down and shivered. My mind was racking itself, searching for something that was there once but now wasn't. A comforting tail swept across my bristling shoulders and I tensed slightly.

"Swiftpaw… are you okay? It-it's me, it's Jayfeather, you can't have forgotten. You're joking right? Are you okay?" I winced at his words. Who was he? Who was I? It wasn't…

"Swiftpaw! What's wrong? Why are you fading?" he screeched. I yowled in panic. My vision was returning, the scents were fading, the memories too. I saw a blurred image of a grey tabby cat, blue eyes wide and staring at me. Glancing down I saw grey paws.

"_Don't forget yourself, Swift Falcon. Don't forget us._" I looked around, eyes wide, and saw a spotted she cat who stirred my deepest memories.

"Do not fear for her, Jayfeather. She walks with cats watching from different skies." she murmured to the grey tabby tom.

"No!" he yelled, whipping around to face the she-cat, neck fur bristling with anger.

"I-I've lost her once already! I can't… I can't lose her. Not again… not this time. She said I'd walk with her in StarClan." Jayfeather shrunk back to the ground, looking across at me with such sadness and anger glittering in his eyes that I felt pity claw at my throat despite my fear and confusion. I looked across to him with new determination, steeling my gaze with a hardened look.

"Who are you? Who's StarClan?" I asked bravely, angrily getting to my paws. Jayfeather choked, eyes blazing with misery, and he took a step back. I felt my own heart melt at his gaze, so distant yet so familiar, and I took another gentle step forward, something else warming my heart as he looked up hopefully.

"I don't know who you are," I mewed softly, drawing myself next to him so our pelts brushed, "but I remember you. What happened?" he stared across at me with gentle and strange blue eyes, something deep within in them unnerving me.

"Swiftpaw – or _whatever_ your name is – you died," he breathed gently. Every word stung my pelt like claws raking down my side.

I couldn't take it. I huddled into a ball and cried like a kit does for its mother. I took deep, fast breaths that shook my entire body. Jayfeather looked on with wide, pitying eyes, while the spotted she-cat stepped forward and wrapped her tail around me, wreathing me in her sweet scent until I slept.

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><p>I woke up trembling. My heart thudded rapidly in my chest and I took a deep breath, stilling my nerves. <em>It was just a dream<em>.

Otterpaw's warm, strong breath stirred my ear fur, and I looked up, stifling a yawn and smiling as I saw him snoring loudly next to Silentpaw. Skypaw was stretching and yawning, staring at Otterpaw with annoyance glittering in her clear blue eyes. I saw Silentpaw open one eye and peek gently at Otterpaw, wrapping her cream tail around his. He snored, yet his tail twined with hers, and Silentpaw's eyes shone. I snorted with amusement and heaved myself to my paws, shaking a few loose scraps of moss from my tortoiseshell fur. I stretched, sheathed and unsheathed my small, weak claws, and padded from the apprentice den. Dawn light and warmth seeped into my fur and I purred gratefully, dream forgotten as I watched the dawn patrol gradually gather at the open space between the thick roots and undergrowth. Lightflower - a white she cat with soft brown stripes and pale blue eyes - dashed towards them, but stopped, panting, halfway across the clearing. Heatherfoot was suddenly at her side, drawing her tail across the side of Lightflower's stomach, then mewing, "You aren't going anywhere, Lightflower. Not while you're expecting."

The words were barely out of her mouth when Honeyfur appeared from the roots and moss of the elders den, eyes glittering.

"Lightflower, you're having kits? That's wonderful! I -" her words broke off as Moonfall pushed past her, fur fluffed and bristling with excitement.

"Oh, my kit! My precious daughter, you're having kits…they'll be wonderful, just like you. Oh…" I ran toward the entrance to camp, where the dawn patrol was about to leave, and skidded to a halt in front of them, my paws suddenly filled with energy.

"Can I come? Please? Please please _please_?"

Mintstar's amber eyes flashed with amusement and he padded from the back of the patrol to face me.

"No, young one. You have been around our territory once already -despite it being yesterday- and must be exhausted. And there _are _duties to be done around camp, too," Mintstar mewed gently, flicking his ears towards the tangled roots and woven twigs of the elders den, where Rippleclaw stood watching me with a stern glint in his amber eyes. I let disappointment flood into my paws and nodded respectfully to Mintstar, before padding over to the oak roots that sheltered the elders den.

"Hey, Moonfall, Sunstreak," I mewed halfheartedly, greeting them with a tired flick of my ears. The two cats paused from their conversation, and turned towards me with worn smiles.

"Yes, Falconpaw?" Sunstreak replied, dreaming one paw over his scratched-up ear and eyeing me gently.

"So, I was wondering if either of you needed-" I broke off in a huge yawn, then continued, "any moss." Moonfall laughed and nudged me away.

"I'd love some fresh moss, please. I'm sure Maplepelt and Honeyfur would like some too."

"I sure would!" Honeyfur called from the roots above. I backed out of the den, turned, and rolled my eyes, padding towards the camp's exit.

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><p><em>Scourge slipped between the tall, old oaks like a shadow. He had almost forgotten the scent of this country, yet the musky scent of MoonClan still stirred his nostrils, bringing a wave of nostalgia into his mind. He quickly shook it off and paused in his travel, looking up to the branches of the towering oaks. <em>

_Back when he was known as Nightpaw, back when he had been told he would become a strong and _useful_ warrior, back when he had friends..._

_"_No!_" he hissed, shaking his head and bringing his dogs claws up to his ears. He pressed his worn pads against his black fur, moaning. In his moment of weakness a stray thought got through his ice-hardened heart. _

_"If- if I went back…would they…accept me?" Scourge whispered. Suddenly he threw his head back, snarled, and yowled to the stars, "YOU VILE CLANS WILL NEVER ACCEPT ME! I WILL NEVER ACCEPT YOU EITHER!" his voice dropped to a menacing whisper, heart hardening and eyes flashing as they caught the icy half-moon's reflection in their glassy blue depths. _

_"I will not show mercy. I shall crush the Cats of Passing Time, and your precious beliefs." _

_Scourge flashed out his black forepaw, admiring the sharp, crude dog's claws glistening on each pawtip. He could already imagine them closing around each leader's throat, the wails of their _beloved _Clanmates, the shattering of their faith, the fading echoes of their ridiculous beliefs…_

_"I am going to destroy the Clans. I—" his voice caught and he stumbled, rasping suddenly. His neck wound had reopened. Scourge clawed at a leaf and pressed it against his deep cut, hissing softly. He curled up underneath a fern. He had learned long ago that each fern in this part of MoonClan's territory had dips underneath, where mice would often live. _Back when I was Nightpaw… I learned this…NO!

_Scourge wailed with exasperated misery and lay down. He shivered slightly, almost wishing for his dumps where he ruled the streets and had the best bed each night. Sighing, Scourge lay his head down, licked his muddy fur, and shut his eyes. _

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><p><strong>PLEEEAAASSSEEE review! I don't know why, but I like reviews more than I like favourites or follows. (WOWIES that's a lot of page breaks)<strong>

**TRUESTORY**


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